2025 Audi RS Q8 Performance priced

The 2025 Audi RS Q8 Performance will soon enter showrooms priced from $255,800 plus on-road costs as Audi's most aggressive and track-capable SUV model to date.

Audi says the first customer cars will be handed over "imminently".

For full specification details, see our original reveal coverage below.

Original, June 25, 2024: Just a week on from revealing the facelifted Audi e-tron GT electric fastback flagship, Audi Sport has doubled down and debuted a similarly-facelifted RS Q8 flagship SUV range, which is now crowned by the formidable new Audi RS Q8 Performance.

It’s unclear when the 2024 Audi RS Q8 line-up, which was shown overnight in Germany, will arrive Down Under but the inclusion of the new Performance version in the local range is a safe bet given Australia has long been one of the world’s biggest RS markets.

Justifying its nameplate, the 2024 Audi RS Q8 Performance packs big 471kW/850Nm outputs courtesy of an enhanced version of the regular RS Q8’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, which has been left untouched and still outputs 441kW/800Nm in the standard SUV.

The extra grunt trims the 0-100km/h claim down from 3.8 to 3.6 seconds and makes the RS Q8 the most powerful internal-combustion Audi model to date.

Offsetting the newfound performance is a carbon-ceramic braking package usually reserved for the optional dynamic plus package, though that is largely where the differences between the Performance and standard RS Q8 end beyond their mildly different aesthetics.

Both versions, for instance, will top out at 250km/h but can be optioned with either a 280km/h or 305km/h speed-limiter, both feature the latest quattro centre differential, both ride on adaptive sports air suspension as standard and both feature rear-axle steering.

Those wanting more dynamic prowess from their super-SUV can option the available electromechanical active roll stabilisation system or the aforementioned dynamic plus package, which combines with the 305km/h speed-limiter, quattro sport differential and carbon-ceramic brakes.

We expect a lot of buyers to option this pack on their RS Q8 Performance, since it just set a new SUV lap record at the Nurburgring with a time of 7:36.698 – 2.2sec faster than the more powerful but closely-related Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

Whether or not Porsche allows that record to stand remains to be seen.

If you’re wondering how to tell the Performance apart from the standard RS Q8, the former wears a matte-grey rear diffuser, front spoiler elements and mirrors caps, while the latter dons gloss-black features, but the two will also be offered with different colour palettes.

Both models are virtually identical inside the cabin, beyond the Performance’s virtual shift light.

Launch control is also offered as standard on the Performance, but not the standard version.

Expect some modest price increases for the RS Q8, given the relatively few changes that have been made.

The current model starts from $228,000 plus on-road costs, so the Performance will likely start closer to $250,000 before options.

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